


We're Terrified Of What's Around the Corner

by AshesStarsAndRedStringsOfFate



Series: Sanders Sides Inktober 2018 [11]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Centaur Logan, Dryad Virgil, Elf Patton, Faerie Roman, Family, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 22:51:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16274003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshesStarsAndRedStringsOfFate/pseuds/AshesStarsAndRedStringsOfFate
Summary: He runs. He runs and runs and runs in a desperate attempt to escape his parents. He runs and runs and runs until he smacks into a tree. And that is when everything changes.Written for Inktober Day 11: Forest.





	We're Terrified Of What's Around the Corner

**Author's Note:**

> So… my Internet crashed last night, so I'm posting this a day late. Also, I keep making characters witches… Oh well, I find it entertaining. Plus, it’s Halloween time, so why not make it a bit spoopy? Anyway, enjoy guys!

He doesn’t know what eventually causes him to run. Maybe they were just a bit rougher than normal, maybe they finally started to go through with their plan to kill him; either way, he runs and this time, he runs for good. He just needs to get away, and the forest seems to be the best option. So, he does what he does best. He runs. He runs and runs and runs in a desperate attempt to escape his parents. He runs and runs and runs until he smacks into a tree. And that is when everything changes.

 

 

“Whoa, kid, are you okay?!” a sweet tenor yelps from somewhere in front of him. Thomas stumbles backwards and bites his lip as he feels his ankle twist. He can’t show pain, he can’t show weakness, he has to be perfect. Forcing back his tears, he glances up at the voice, and his eyes widen in surprise.  

 

 

A tall person with dark brown skin, pine green eyes, and spiky black hair stares down at him, a worried look in their large eyes. A hood covers most of their hair and shadows their face, but even Thomas can tell that their hair is an absolute mess. Tall boots come up to almost their knees, and striped tights cover the rest of the legs along with a pair of jean shorts. A T-shirt covers their torso, and a hoodie completes the ensemble. Overall, though, they look friendly. Certainly friendlier than his parents. 

 

 

“Who are you?” Thomas asks instead of answering the stranger person’s question. The person cocks their head to the side and sticks out their hand for a handshake. 

 

 

“I’m Virgil. He/him. Who are you, kid, and are you okay?” 

 

 

“I’m Thomas! Also he/him. And why do you look so funny?” Thomas asks instead, beaming as he introduces himself. Virgil just sighs and crouches down to Thomas’s level, his eyes at once both grim and twinkling with mirth. 

 

 

“You want some food? My friends are really nice, and they can give you some food before we get you home, okay?” Thomas nods, and Virgil grins before standing up straight so that he towers over Thomas. Granted, almost everyone towers over Thomas. Thomas doesn’t feel threatened by Virgil’s height, though; he knows, even then, that Virgil will never hurt him. 

 

 

Virgil leads Thomas to a small cave that opens into a clearing surrounded by tall trees with a small river running into a little pond in the centre of it. Thomas’s eyes widen as he takes in the scenery, a feeling of peace and security filling his chest. He never wants to leave. Here, he will be safe. Here, he believes in that moment, he is home. 

 

 

“Virgil? Why have you arrived home earlier than expected?” a new voice, a soft alto this time, inquires. Thomas tenses and turns around to find a tall person with a horse’s body and a human head and torso staring down at the two of them. Well, staring down at Thomas– they are only about an inch or two shorter than Virgil. Their horse coat is a soft black with dapples of white, while their human torso is clothed with a nice black shirt, a blue argyle sweater vest, and a blue tie. Glasses perch on their nose, and their dark hair is neater than most adults’s Thomas had ever seen. 

 

 

“I found a kid, Logan. He seemed… lost,” Virgil explains, shrugging. Thomas misses the look Virgil shoots to this new person, Logan ( _ a centaur, Thomas, just call them a centaur _ ), as he wanders around to explore his new surroundings. Logan trots up to him, long white tail swishing behind them, and they extend a hand in greeting. 

 

 

“Salutations. My name is Logan, and I use he/him pronouns. For future reference, everyone in our little family uses masculine terms of address. What is your name? I surmise that you use he/him pronouns as well,” Logan offers, attempting to look reassuring with a smile on his face. Thomas beams and files away the information from Logan’s little explanation for future use.

 

 

“I’m Thomas! It’s nice to meet you, Logan,” he choruses, shaking Logan’s hand with more enthusiasm than a child could normally muster. Sparks of magic start to fly from his hands, and Thomas quickly pulls back, terrified that Logan would yell at him or hit him or kick him out because of his out-of-control magic. Logan’s face falls a bit, and Thomas braces for the worst. 

 

 

“Oh, Thomas, do you really think I’d harm you for something out of your control?” Logan whispers, his voice shaking with some emotion that Thomas can’t identify. He never learned how to identify any emotion other than anger and not-anger. This was definitely not-anger, but beyond that, Thomas is lost.  

 

 

“Sorry,” he mumbles, casting his gaze down towards the ground. Oh, look at that pretty rock! Such a pretty rock. That pretty rock wouldn’t hurt him, not like humans did. 

 

 

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Thomas,” Logan responds, his voice even and leaving no trace of negative emotion. Thomas opens his mouth, maybe to apologize further, maybe to contest Logan’s point, when he feels himself being lifted up into the air by a tight hug. 

 

 

“Aw, hello, kiddo!” a gleeful voice squeals in his ear. Thomas is quickly spun around to face a man with pointy ears, messy blonde curls, and a tanned face clouded with freckles. “I’m Patton!” the person holding him chirps, grinning so widely that Thomas wonders how the smile even stays on his face. “I heard your name is Thomas?”

 

 

“Y-yeah. I’m Thomas,” Thomas manages to stammer out. Patton giggles and gently lowers him to the ground, still smiling with bright, shining eyes. Thomas has just gotten used to his feet being on the ground when he is suddenly accosted by a new prescence, this one a tall red-head with large butterfly wings who charges him from the side. 

 

 

“Hello, my young knight! It is I, Roman, your new caretaker!” he cries dramatically, sweeping Thomas off of his feet and settling him gently on his shoulder. “Now come, let us vanquish the foul dragon who has taken you captive!” 

 

 

“Oh no, I must flee! The combined might of the prince and the knight is too much for my evil heart!” Patton wails, dramatically clasping a hand to his chest. Thomas breaks out giggling, thouroughly amused at the antics of his new caretakers. Roman sets him down and ruffles his hair, still grinning. 

 

 

“Now, kiddo, do you need help getting home?” Patton asks, crouching down so that he is eye to eye with Thomas. Thomas’s mood instantly sours. He had no home. He thought that maybe here could be home, but apparently that wasn’t the case. 

 

 

“No… I don’t really think I have a home anymore,” he whispers, tears starting to pool in the corner of his eyes. He distantly registers Virgil and Logan coming closer, but all he focusses on is the grass right in front of Patton’s feet. It’s a pretty green, bright and crisp and alive, so unlike him. He wishes he could live here and stare at this grass all day, but he can’t because these nice people are trying to send him away. 

 

  
“Oh, kiddo…” Patton whispers. Thomas refuses to look up. He feels someone crouch by his shoulder, and someone else gently grasps his jaw with their hand. He feels his head being tilted up, and he registers Roman’s kind, worry-filled expression in front of him. 

 

 

“Well, then, your new home can be here with us. Is that alright with you?” Roman responds, a small smile tugging at his lips. Thomas searches Roman’s eyes for any hint of anger or lies or sarcasm, but finds none. Slowly, carefully, hopefully, he nods. Roman’s small smile turns into a full-blown grin as he sweeps Thomas off his feet and dashes towards the tree line, babbling about how he is going to show Thomas everything in the forest that night. Patton follows, cheering about the newest addition to their little family. Thomas glances back, and sure enough, Logan and Virgil are steadily following, fond smiles painting both of their faces. It is that sight that seals it for Thomas, he will later realize. It is at that moment that he knows he has finally found his family. 

**Author's Note:**

> So... that happened. Thanks for reading, guys! I'll see you tomorrow/later today!!
> 
> ~Ash


End file.
